“There are many reasons application guidelines fail to support good proposal development,” said Floersch. The guidelines may be historical documents that have morphed in unfortunate ways over time. They might be the results of a group effort that lacked a coordinated approach. They might lean heavily on jargon that’s clear to the funder but mystifying to the applicant. Maybe they were hammered together quickly in response to new legislation, laying out a labyrinth of must-dos that meet red-tape demands but defy logic.

To elicit logical, well-organized grant proposals the guidelines must also be logical and well organized.

Define terms and, when possible, provide examples. Funders use vastly different terminology and nonprofit staff new to grants work can easily misinterpret what’s being asked of them. “I once helped a new proposal writer respond to guidelines that required explanation of the program’s vision, goals, objectives, approaches, long-term and short-term outcomes, results, and impacts,” said Floersch. “We sorted it out, but definitions and examples would have been extremely helpful to the applicant.”

If two or more questions seem redundant, rework them so that applicants can more clearly understand the information each is meant to elicit.

Provide a contact person. Not all early-career proposal writers have access to experienced guidance, and even experienced grants professionals can sometimes need clarity. Being willing to answer questions lays the groundwork for receiving better quality proposals.